1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for gel-coating seeds and more particularly to a device which continuously and simultaneously coats a plurality of seeds with a gelling agent, wherein the device is applicable to a whole size of seeds.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there is a well-known device for coating seeds with a gelling agent mixed with nutriment, medicament or the like, which has a plurality of nozzles into which respective seeds are dropped and the gelling agent is filled. The process of gel-coating a seed in each of the nozzles is performed as follows:
First of all, a little amount of gelling agent is discharged into the nozzle so as to form a gel-membrane blocking in a bottom tip of the nozzle. Next, a seed is dropped into the nozzle so as to be caught with the gel-membrane. Then, the gelling agent is more filled into the nozzle so as to thicken the gel-membrane, thereby gel-coating the seed. This gel-coated seed falls from the bottom tip of the nozzle with its empty weight.
Incidentally, the gel-coated seeds from the nozzles fall into hardener solution. The gel-coated seeds are conveyed in the hardener while their gel-coats are hardened. Then, the gel-coated seeds are carried into a rinsing unit such that the hardener stuck on the gel-coated seeds is rinsed out. Thus, the gel-coated seeds are finished to be products.
The nozzle unit of the conventional device for gel-coating seeds as mentioned above has a drawback such that each nozzle is supplied into its bottom tip with a gelling agent, which is substantially horizontally discharged from a longitudinal or lateral side of the nozzle. If the pressure for discharging the gelling agent is insufficient, it may happen that the gel-membranes, i.e., the gel-coated seeds cannot be formed.
Besides, the gel-coated seeds fall from the bottom tips of the nozzles with their empty weight. If the seeds are very small, it may happen that the seeds do not acceptably fall from the nozzles.